The Eurovision final is typically an evening of pure ecstasy and fun, with performers taking the stage in an attempt to bring the competition back home.
Twenty-six countries will compete in the final on Saturday evening (May 11) in Malmö, Sweden.
The British hope for this year is Ollie Alexander33, who performs disco song Dizzy.
But in addition to launching the careers of Celine Dion, Abba and to a lesser extent Bucks Fizz, Eurovision has often been home to acts that have not been as successful.
But just because you'll never have a number one record doesn't mean you're not appreciated by the Eurovision community.
Eurovision: Past winners – In photos
It is a noble honor to be the new act of the Eurovision Song Contest and to be accepted into the hearts of superfans and casual observers alike. It's these stars, for their camp spirit, unique sound or downright strangeness that we remember when we think of Eurovision.
Here are just a few of the performances over the years that we've loved to hate and hated to love…
1. Jemini – Cry Baby, United Kingdom 2003 (27th – 0 points)
It takes a lot to scare the Eurovision Song Contest – but we did that, and then some with our 2003 entry. Forever remembered as the worst Eurovision entry ever, everything went a little wrong for the Liverpool duo. Horribly out of tune due to an alleged microphone problem and with lackluster staging, Jemini has been relegated to the Eurovision Song Contest's Hall of Shame for their well-deserved zero points.
2. Lordi – Hard Rock Hallelujah, Finland 2006 (winners – 292 points)
From some of the Eurovision Song Contest's worst… to the best. The Finnish hard rock band didn't really fit the usual Eurovision mold of cheesy pop, but their heavy metal sounds, combined with their terrifying makeup, brought them to victory.
Their success has led to many other rock acts trying their luck in the competition, with AWS and more recently Hatari bringing their heavier sounds to the stage.
3. LT United – We Are the Winners, Lithuania 2006 (5th – 162 points)
It was a bold move for Lithuania to evoke memories of Queen's We Are the Champions, especially since instead of the panache and style of Freddie Mercury, they served up some ill-suited men screaming. LT United's “boastful” song was booed in the stadium, but in retrospect we can see what this awful song really is: just a big overarching p***-take.
4. Scooch – Flying the Flag, United Kingdom 2007 (22nd – 19 points)
Britain has sometimes sent some pretty serious, sincere singers (see Jade Ewan, Andy Abrahams, Engelbert Humperdinck) to the Eurovision Song Contest, with the 2007 entry for Scooch being a bit of an anomaly. But it seems that Brits often don't camp very well with this annoying effort, which was almost impossible to see.
Scooch's blue costumes bore an unfortunate resemblance to Britney Spears' Toxic video, but the song isn't nearly as strong – it's like comparing Emirates to RyanAir.
5. Verka Serduchka – Dancing Lasha Tumbai, Ukraine 2007 (2nd – 235 points)
What can we say? Nothing is more Eurovision than Verka Seduchka. The Ukrainian drag act, dressed in what could have been aluminum foil, sang the part German, part English song – and although Verka had entered the Eurovision Hall of Fame, she was harshly denied the win in perhaps one of the biggest scandals of the Eurovision songfestival.
6. Sebastian Tellier – Divine, France 2008 (19th – 47 points)
Like Britain in recent years, France has not exactly had much luck Eurovision songfestival – but nothing summed up the country's general 'it doesn't matter' attitude better than the 2008 entry Divine.
Moving away from the usual glitzy staging and with the star act arriving on a golf cart, the most glamorous thing about Sebastian Tellier was his sparkling blazer. The situation took an even bizarre turn when he sucked the helium out of a globe-based ball. Although objectively not good, the novelty of France's strange act was appreciated by the watching countries, and he earned 47 points.
7. Sunstroke Project & Olia Tira – Run Away, Moldova 2010 (22nd – 27 points)
Some of you may have trouble remembering who this famous Eurovision act is, but thanks to the internet, they have now achieved worldwide fame. The masterful (if not dazzling) work of saxophonist Sergey Stepanov quickly became the subject of the popular meme Epic Sax Guy, which was similar to rickrolling.
The Eurovision Song Contest's rules about playing musical instruments on stage meant that Stepanov didn't play the saxophone at all, but rather synchronized movements to a pre-recorded song – it's one of the biggest lies of our generation.
8. Buranovskiye Babushki – Party for All, Russia 2012 (2nd – 259 points)
Popularly known as “The Russian Grannies”, the lovable group was the unexpected hit of Eurovision 2012, thanks to their endearing, inclusive song in the Udmurt language. They may have lost to Sweden on the night itself, but they won the hearts of everyone at home.
9. Pollapönk – No Prejudice, Iceland 2014 (15th – 58 points)
Pollapönk seems to be the Icelandic equivalent of the Kaiser Chiefs, but is actually a 'punky' children's program. music band. Each dressed in brightly colored suits (a bit like the Teletubbies) the band sang a fairly upbeat and catchy song about not being prejudiced. So far, so Eurovision. The best part, though, is the end of the song. We won't spoil it if you can't remember what happens, but we will say keep an eye on the man in the yellow suit…
10. Donatan & Cleo – We Are Slavic, Poland 2014 (14th – 162 points)
Although Eurovision has always been known as a lot of fun, it is not always the sexiest competitions. This is something Poland tried to change during the 2014 competition, which will always be remembered for its unique erotic take on churning butter.
11. Elina Born & Stig Rästa – Goodbye To Yesterday, Estonia 2015 (7th – 106 points)
The slightly sharper offering from Estonia in 2015 was actually quite good, but was let down (or, according to some, improved) by some slightly dodgy writing. “When I came outside, I smiled at the dog” is a personal highlight.
12. Hatari – Hatred Will Prevail, Iceland 2019 (10th – 232 points)
The techno-punk band were the antithesis of the typical Eurovision spirit with their angry, BDSM-inspired performance, but are best known for being kicked out of the competition after holding up the Palestinian flag when their scores were announced in protest against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. .
13. Love, love, peace, peace – Petra Mede, Mans Zelmerlow
So technically not an act in itself – but nothing captures the spirit of the Eurovision Song Contest than this halftime show, which even saw the presenters beat Justin Timberlake on stage during the 2016 contest.
The performance was the ultimate dream for Eurovision superfans, packed with references to some of the most bizarre and brilliant newcomers of recent years – keep an eye out for grannies, butter churners and saxophonists.
14. Cha Cha Cha – Wrapper, Finland 2023 (2nd – 526 points)
Cha Cha Cha, the number two in 2023, is a hardcore techno song that just missed the top spot. The song reached No. 1 on Spotify's Viral 50 chart and No. 7 on the streaming site's Top 50 chart.
15. Embers – James Newman, UK 2021 (last – no points)
This was the first year after 2020, which was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. And unfortunately, Embers was disappointing. It was only the second time in history that Great Britain failed to gain a single point at the event.
When asked how this happened, Newman said, “Maybe people just didn't like my music.”